The Holy Quran 5:12 — Surah Al-Ma'idah

Arabic text

۞ وَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَـٰقَ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ وَبَعَثْنَا مِنْهُمُ ٱثْنَىْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًا ۖ وَقَالَ ٱللَّهُ إِنِّى مَعَكُمْ ۖ لَئِنْ أَقَمْتُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَيْتُمُ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَءَامَنتُم بِرُسُلِى وَعَزَّرْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَقْرَضْتُمُ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا لَّأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَلَأُدْخِلَنَّكُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۚ فَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ

Translation

Most certainly Allaah had taken a pledge from the Bani Israa'eel and We appointed among them twelve leaders (one to represent each of the twelve tribes). Allaah said, "Indeed I am with you (I shall assist you) ! Without doubt, if you establish salaah, pay zakaah, believe in My Rusul, assist them and lend to Allaah a good loan (by sincerely spending your pure wealth for His pleasure), I will certainly cancel your sins (because good cancels evil) and undoubtedly enter you into Jannaat beneath which rivers flow. Whoever of you commits kufr after this has indeed strayed from the straight path."

Tafsir (excerpt) — Tafsir Usmani

That is, this is not a distinction of the ummah of Muhammad ﷺ alone: covenants were taken from earlier communities as well. The twelve chiefs of the Children of Israel: Musa ﵇ had chosen twelve chiefs from the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel, whose names the mufassirun (commentators) have also quoted from the Torah.

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